Guess the guards thought that they were doing him a favor by letting him do it himself rather than turning him over to the other prisoners. It seems that some of the other commenters would have done the same, were they supervising.

Kindlingman criticizes talkleft for ignoring the "intended victim." In this case, there was no victim. This was a sting by a police officer lurking on the internet to offer opportunity, and yes, encourage the commission of a crime.
I don't like this use of the police. I wish they could catch people doing crimes, and not participating in causing crimes.
I appears this man had serious mental problems, even though he was a positive contributor to his community.
On the Court TV link, some talked about how he deserved the death penalty. This was before a trial or plea or presentation of his side of his life. Demonizing other people, before all the facts are in is just not the way we should treat other members of the human race.
How would you feel if you were his daughter and he was a good dad and you read this?
The information given to the news made the man sound like a monster. Maybe he wasn't, I don't know. But I don't know why people should pile on and make his family feel worse.

A few years back, I defended a county sheriff against a civil rights case, where part of the inmate's claim was that he had been mistreated after attempting suicide. They took away his clothes and gave him a paper gown, and let him have his mattress 8/24 hours.

Taking away his clothes and giving him the peper gown, I thought, was a little harsh, until I started reading up on it. The rationale was that the gowns are designed to not be able to be made into a rope or other implement with which the inmate could strangle himself. The paper is too weak to stand up to the kind of stress imposed by use as a noose or garrotte. And, that's intentional - jailhouse suicides using clothes are probably as old as jailhouses.

Taking away the mattress was justified because empirical evidence shows it's either (A) rammed down the toilet or (B) used to block view of the video camera or cell door's window while the prisoner tries to off himself.

The prisoner in question was really put out, because (a) no mattress meant the video monitor (actually being monitored, too) caught him winding his gown into a rope and looking for a place to tie off (leading to an "intervention" by staff) and (b) when he thought he had a good-enough rope made from his gown, it started tearing and was useless as a rope (or as clothing).

In the case of the AUSA who killed himself, I am left to wonder why it was that he was able to fashion a rope from whatever it was he was able to use. It's not like his attempting suicide was a "surprise" - he was on suicide watch.

Similarly, I am left to wonder why it was he was allowed to be unobserved for long enough to not only die from suicide, but also long enough to take the time to fashion whatever implements he used to kill himself. It takes time to make a rope, and it gets a little hard to explain if the guard stops by (or looks in on video) and sees you sitting naked and your clothes winding into rope....

I am inclined to believe the guards let him kill himself, so as to allow him to evade going forward and die innocent, or at least unconvicted, of the crimes with which he was charged.

It is very hard to change anyone's sexual orientation via any form of therapy. Treatment focuses on trying to enlist whatever conscience is there by correcting rationalizations (the kid likes it, etc) and clarifying risks (i.e. prison). If the pedophile has a secondary interest in sex with adults who can consent then of course that is fostered as well.
The psychiatric treatment that would be attempted would be suicide prevention for this man; a middle class, previously unarrested man charged with a high-profile, high-stigma crime is the classic suicide in jail profile.

Are you not sad that he planned to have sex with a five year old?
Are you not sad that a five year old girl was his target?
Are you not sad that he was in a position of responsibility and trust and intended to do another person harm?

It is indeed sad that the perpetrator gains sympathy and the intended victim is ignored. It is indeed sad when people do not know the difference between right and wrong and how to act towards them both.

I do not feel sad for him, nor for the outcome, nor for the penal system. But I do feel sad for you.

Presumption perhaps. I don't doubt your sincere attempts to find evidence of democratic pedophilia, but it's certainly not an interest of mine to research this issue further. I'm content to let you believe as you wish, but I would personally like to see a better case before I abandon my completely unfounded presumption.

If he were properly observed in a proper observation cell, he wouldn't be dead.
People who are intent on killing themselves also do it in psychiatric hospitals.
A reason to observe inmates who claim to be suicidal in observation cells is that if you send all inmates who say that they are suicidal to psychiatric hospitals, there is an epidemic of reports of suicidality.
Where I work we keep people safe with the paper suit and solitary constant observation without privacy. Anyone who is so depressed as to not grow weary of the paper suit and showering in front of an officer eventually goes to a brief forensic hospital.
Of course, I've sent prisoners to a forensic hospital and they've been beaten up. Sending this man to a hospital filled with people who are psychotic, criminal, or both would sending him beatings or death given his charges.

various approaches to attempting treatment of pedophilia. I understand you are a psychiatrist, yes? To your knowledge or experience what kind of success rates have been achieved? Can it be... "cured"... if that is an applicable term?